Carbon Dioxide Utilization and Sequestration in Kerogen Nanopores

Abstract

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) has been injected into oil reservoirs to maximize production for decades. On the other hand, emitted CO 2 from industrial processes is captured and stored in geological formations to mitigate greenhouse gas effects. As such, greater attention is drawn to the potential of utilizing the captured CO 2 in EOR processes. A significant por - tion of the injected CO 2 remains trapped due to capillary forces and through dissolution in residual liquids. In organic-rich shales, the presence of isolated kerogen nanopores add to the sequestration process due to the adsorptive nature of the surface and its preference to CO 2 over methane (CH 4 ), in addition to the sealing capacities of these formations. This work summarizes the latest findings of the literature with the purpose of defining further areas of investigation to fully capitalize on the potential of CO 2 sequestration and utiliza- tion in kerogen nanopores.